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Warren to face Brown

By Chris Camire, ccamire@lowellsun.com

Updated:
06/03/2012 06:37:45 AM EDT

SPRINGFIELD -- Elizabeth Warren is taking on Scott Brown on everything from his shaky voting record to his expensive barn coat.

By easily capturing the Democratic Party's nomination in the state's hotly contested U.S. Senate race Saturday, Warren sent a message to Democrats who are jittery over the recent controversy surrounding her Native American heritage: I'm ready.

Warren captured 95.8 percent of the delegate support, preventing scrappy challenger Marisa DeFranco from earning a spot on the ballot for September's primary. DeFranco needed at least 15 percent of the vote to qualify for the primary, but garnered less than 5 percent.

By holding off a primary challenge, Warren is now able to focus exclusively on Brown, the freshmen Republican who shocked the political world two years ago by winning the seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy in a special election against Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Warren wasted little time in her convention speech trying to define Brown as an enemy of education and the environment, and as a friend to big oil companies and Wall Street

"Two years ago, Massachusetts sent someone to Washington who seemed like a decent guy, but boy, did he let us down," said Warren.

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Warren also invoked the memory of Kennedy, saying she still keeps a voicemail from the legendary senator in which he thanked her for her help on consumer work.

"I wish I could thank him one last time," Warren said. "I wish I could tell him I'm doing my best to honor his memory."

Warren said the differences between Kennedy and Brown are stark. She encouraged voters to care more about Brown's voting record than his good looks or charm.

She blasted Brown for voting against funding for summer jobs for students, President Obama's jobs bill, and co-sponsoring legislation to allow employers to block coverage for routine cancer screenings and birth control.

"Look, I don't care about what kind of truck Scott Brown drives," Warren said. "I don't care how he describes himself in his TV ads. I care about how he votes."

Warren labeled Brown a Wall Street Republican, a big oil Republican, and a Mitt Romney Republican. She even mocked him for his expensive coat.

"Are you ready to tell Scott Brown to put on his $675 barn coat and go home?" she said.

DeFranco, a Salem immigration lawyer who lives in Middleton, served up a speech loaded with liberal red meat. She endorsed universal health care and called labor unions the "bedrock of our economy."

Warning that Brown will make the election a "street fight," DeFranco said she would be a candidate who could "take a punch and come out fighting." She vowed not back down from anyone.

"Let's have a good and healthy primary and go after Scott Brown all summer long together," DeFranco said. "We will be the stronger for it."

Many of the 3,544 delegates in attendance said the party would be worse off by giving Warren a primary challenger. Many feared DeFranco's presence in the race would allow Brown to escape scrutiny through the summer.

"I'd rather have Elizabeth Warren concentrate full time on Scott Brown," said Tom McGrath, of Pepperell. "Scott Brown has a lot of monied interest behind him. There is going to be a lot of negative campaigning from the Republicans. We need a united front."

Kathleen "Toody" Healy, a Westford delegate, said Democrats need to be on the same page today without unnecessary distractions.

"We need to work over the summer without having to debate over debates, talk about this, talk about that," said Healy.

Curtis LeMay, of Lowell, said while DeFranco worked hard, her candidacy would have taken the focus off Brown.

"What we're trying to accomplish is to have all her emphasis on Scott Brown," he said.

DeFranco collected the necessary 10,000 signatures to appear at the convention, but has little name recognition and through the first quarter of the year had raised just over $41,000 for her campaign, compared to the $15.8 million for Warren. The Warren-Brown match-up is expected to be one of the nation's most expensive and closely-watched Senate races.

Asked if her campaign worked behind the scenes to keep DeFranco off the ballot, Warren said: "Let's not say anyone pushed anybody off the ballot."

Earlier in the day, Gov. Deval Patrick revved up the crowd in a fiery speech in which he said "it's time for Democrats to grow a backbone and stand up for what we believe."

Patrick, who endorsed Warren in a surprise event on Wednesday, said little about the state's Senate race, choosing not to mention any of the candidates by name. Instead he talked about the need to re-elect President Barack Obama come November.

"I for one will not let him be bullied out of office," he said. "I'm in for 2012, are you in?"

Patrick also dismissed Obama's Republican opponent and his predecessor, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Patrick called Romney an opportunist who was more interested in having the job of Bay State governor than doing the job.

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